1961 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-004

Description

Fourth doubled die reverse for the 1961 Philadelphia Mint Franklin Half Dollar, DDR-004 exhibits a medium spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM, all outer rim lettering, and the bottom of the eagle — an extensive distribution of doubling that affects nearly every text element on the reverse. Cross-referenced as FS-803 in the Cherrypickers' Guide, this variety has earned recognition beyond the specialist die variety community as a Fivaz-Stanton listed variety, placing it among the most significant doubled dies in the Franklin Half Dollar series. VarietyVista catalogs it with die markers UVC-168 and DMR-016 across three stages: Early Die State remains unconfirmed, Stage B at Mid Die State is confirmed with a diagnostic die gouge dot appearing on the left upper bell lines alongside the MDS obverse, and Late Die State remains unconfirmed. The FS-803 designation signals that the Cherrypickers' Guide editors considered this variety sufficiently prominent and collectible to warrant inclusion in their selective catalog, which filters thousands of known varieties down to those deemed most important for mainstream collectors. The 1961 Franklin Half Dollar was produced at Philadelphia with a mintage of 8,290,000 coins in 90% silver, during the penultimate year of the Franklin design before the transition to the Kennedy Half Dollar following President Kennedy's assassination in 1963. The medium spread affecting the outer rim lettering and eagle base suggests a hub tilt during die preparation that displaced design elements more strongly at the periphery than at the center, consistent with a pivoted hub alignment error. DDR-004's FS-803 cross-reference and broad doubling pattern make it one of the most sought-after Franklin Half Dollar doubled die varieties. Attributed by VarietyVista.

Die Markers

• UVC-168
• DMR-016
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die gouge dot on Left upper bell lines – MDS
• Obverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by J. T. Stanton
• FS-803
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References